Garage-door latch



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Sept. 14

i?, R, REE-:PEN

GARAGE DOOR LATCH Filed April a, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l IVENTOR. elven mW T T. A

Sept. 14 1926. v 1,600,140

, R. R. RIEPEN 011111101: DOOR LATCH Filed April 8, 1926 2 Sheets-Shee 2I N VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 14, 1926. y

UNITED STATES 1,600,140 PATENT OFFICE-.-

ROY RANDOLPH RI'EPEN, or sT. JosEPInMIssoURI. f

GARAGE-DOOR LATCH.

l.Ilppiicaeion mednprii s, 1926. serial No. 100,733.

This invention relates to garage door latches and more particularly to alatch for garage ydoors which are formed of a plurality of panelsconnected at opposite sides yof the door frameso that one panel may beseparately swung to provide a door permitting ingress of persons to thegarage without the necessity of moving all of the panels.

An important object of the invention 1s to provide a single latchmechanism which will latch both sets of the panels and which may beemployed to release one of the .panels without releasingthe remainingthereof or for releasing all of the panels, as is desired.'

A further object of the invention is to produce a device of thischaracter which. is readily adjustable to permit ,its use w1th doors ofvarying heights and thicknesses. l

A Vstill further `object of the invention is to provide a door latchingmechanism for controlling the door panel including a plu'- rality ofbolts and link connections for simultaneously operating these boltstogetherv door having latch mechanism constructed in accordance with myinvention; t v

Figure 2 is a longitudinal 'sectional view therethrough on the line 2-2of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view through the latchl for holdingthe single panel;

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the latch; Figure 5 is an enlargedsectional view taken on the lineV5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through the connection to thedoor bolt;

Figure 7 is an end elevation thereof; y Figure Sis an inside elevationof a two panel garage door embodying a latch convst'ructed in accordancewith my invention; Figure 9 isa similar view of a two panel garage doorwhere the two panels are pivotally connected to yoneanotherand onlyconnected to one side of the door casing;

Figurek 10'is a front elevation of one of the bolt links;

Figure l1 is a side elevation thereof; n l

Figurel 12 is an enlarged lrear elevation showing the coaction ofthelatch mechanism with the link.

Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to Figuresl to 7thereof, the inumeral 10 generally designates a door casing havingassociated therewith a door Aformed intwo sections` 11 andy 12; both ofwhich must be opened to permit use of the Y full width of thedoo-ropening. The: door section 12 operates as an ordinary door, permittingpassage of persons to and from'the garage without the necessity ofv'opening both door sections 11 and 12.- The door sec-1 tion 11 inFigure 1 isillustrated 'as formed in two panel sections lla'and 11b, ofwhich the panel 11b meets with the section 12. Upon the inner faceof thepanel lladjacent the panel 12, a latch 13 having a springpressed bolt 14is arranged. The casing 15 f of this latch lhas in itsV rear face a slot16 through which projects a pin 17, for a pur,- pose presently` toappear.k

Through the panel so 11b (adjacent, and aS at present illustrated `abovethe lock 13,r the vpanel is formed with a" bore 18 suitably bushed, asat 19, for guidanceof ajsquare shaft 20, the outer'end of which isprovided with a pivoted handle element 21, the free end of which may beswung to engage. an eye 22 through which apadlock 23. maybe di.- rectedfor locking the handle against movement. The shaft 20 is made ofsufficient lengthto permit its use with doors vof varying thicknessesvand is'provided with spaced v openings for the passage ofa retaining pin24 abutting a washer-25 which,'in turn, engage-s against an oval plate26 to hold the same against the inner vend of-the bushing 19. The ovalplate 26 hasits longv aXisfVertically directed and is provided at eachend thereof with a horizontally extending rearwardly directed pin 27adapted to engage in a slot 28 formed inthe end of a link 29. The slot28 extends longitudinally of the link so that the link is both pivotally*andv longitudinally vshiftably connected with the plate.

Secured. to the panel 11b in vertical alignment with the plate'26 arespring latches 30, `the bolts 31 of `which are adapted to i* engage intht-*casing 10 to latch the panel 11b against movement with relationthereto. Threaded upon the inner endsof these bolts Y 31 are connectors32 slotted 'for' the reception length while the links 33 are .made of-sulficient length to accommodate va garage door of the greatest heightin which such doors are made tand are provided with a longitudinallyextending series of openings 35 adapted to interchangeably receive aretaining pin 36 whereby the upper end of the link is connected to theconnector 32. The surplus j length of the links 33'may be removed inanysuitable manner andthe threaded'connection 37 'of the connectoi1 32of the bolt provides'V for regulatory adjustment to coin- Vpensate 'forimproper spacing of the openjings 35.

f In the operationof the structure, in so far as it has now, beendescribed, when the handle 21 is oscillated, the plate 26 willy berotated and by itsrotatioii will first tend to `cause movement of thelinks 3am a direction transversely ofthe door. Tf the rotation is in theproper direction, the lower link 34 will engage vagainst the pin 17 ofthe bolt la duringv this transverse movement with the result that thebolt is withdrawn,

I I permitting the door section 12 to be swung to open! position' e Thismovement 'of 'the bolt is accomplished before sufficient longitu-dinalvmovement of the links 33 and 34 takesv place to cause the Ybolts 31 tobe with" drawn. from the door casing with' the result movement.

that the door section ll'will remain latched. Continued movement of lthehandle will, however, Cause. the bolts .31 to be withdrawn sfo .thatlboth f door sections arerifreed for lfth'e door handle is moved in theopposite direction, `it will be :noted that the link-34;` will moveaway-frointhe .bolt pin '17l and will not engage VthereagainstTherefore, 'if the handle is partiallyswung` inl oney direction, Aitvwill release the door section 12 for opening `movementfandthehandlejmay vthen be swung in theV opposite direction and willrelease thedoor section 11. By 'limiting swinging movement of the handlevin the rstdirection so that it may only vbe rotated in such direction a distancesufcient to cause operation o" vthe lock 14, insurance'isprovidedagainst accidental releaseof both door sections when'it is desired onlyto openthe door section 12. Such a limiting means is provided by the pin17 which, by itsl engagement with the rear end of theislot 164 and withthe link 34e, .will

. positively limit the swinging movement of l 'I the plate. i

, Aseconolmeans for preventing such accideiital releasing of the doorsection 11 may determine theA be j readily provided*byjpivoting upon theinner surface ofthe panel section 11b at the opposite lside thereof fromthe mechanism just describecha second plate y26 similar to the plate 26first described and arranging above and below this plate latches 30.This plate is kconnected with the latches Vby links 3&1 and 33 andtheplates 26and 26 are connected by a link 33 which is made adjustable inthe same manner as the links 33. This link has a slot 39 which engageswith thev lower pin 27 of theplate 26V so that, as

Vthe lower end of this plate moves toward the lower end of the plate 26to move Itoward the plate 26 `will cause the bolt 14 to be operated, butwill be ineffectual to cause any operation ofthe bolts 31 sotliat thedoor section 11 remains latched while the door section-12 released. Torelease both doorsections, itis, therefore, necessary to ,first swing` lthe latchy handle in one direction to release the dooisfection 12 andthen in the opposite direction to vrelease the door section', 11.lt'will be obvious that in a structure such as shown in Figure 8, theoperation will be the same as that first described whilein a structure,suchas shown inv'Figure 9, where the latch 1,3 is omitted, the bolts 31foi-in the solemeansffor latch'- ing the door and may bewithdrawn'byroytation of thehandle in either direction` Certain other changesbeii'igpossiblefin the construction hereinbefoie setforth without in`any manner departing from the spirit fof the invention, I do not limitmyself to suchr'speciiicf structure eXeceptjA as hereinafter claimed. yI claim-: y i 11n-combination with a ldoor structure including a frameand two door sections "ase sociated ltherewith and connected' withoppositesidesof the frame, bolts .carried'by oneV of `saidsection'saii'd engaging `with the frame at the'` top and'bottoin of thesection,- a rotatable shaft ,directed through said door section betweenthe boltsa plate secured to the sha-ft at the inner face of the door andlinked -to said bolts, a latch carried vbyjsaid c door section and'having .a bolt forlengagenient with the other ofthe door sections anding thebolt of the latch prior-to disengagef ment of the first namedboltsgfroin the casing.

2.1In combinationwith fa door structure including a Afraineand"two doorsections 'associated 'therewith and connectedvwith opposite sides oftheframe, lbolts 'carried by Y the shaft atfthe inner faceof the doorand linked to said bolts, a llatch-carriedby said kdoor section 'andhaving 1a bolt for engagement with-the other of-the door sections andVan operative V.connection betweenv the bolt of said latch and the linkconnecting said plate with'one 'of said'bolt's when the plate is rotatedin one direction by the shaft disengaging the bolt of the latch prior todisengagement of the first named bolts from the casing, said connectionbetween said link and the bolt of said latch positively limitingrotation of the plate in said direction while the bolts coacting withthe casing are still in engagement therewith. v f

3. In combination with a door structure including a frame and two doorsections associated therewith and connected with opposite sides of theframe, bolts carried by one of said sections and engaging with the frameat the top and bottom of the section, a rotatable shaft directed throughsaid door section between the bolts, a plate secured to the shaft at theinner face of the door and linked to said bolts, a latch carried by saiddoor section and having a bolt for engagement with the other of the doorsections and an operative connection between the bolt of' said latch andthe link connecting said plate with one of said bolts when the plate isrotated in one direction by the shaft disengaging the bolt of-the latchprior to disengagement t of the first named bolts from the casing,

springs urging the first named bolts outwardly for engagement'with thecasing, the

link connections of the'bolts with the plate permitting independentinward movement of the first named bolts toward thevplate during closingmovements of the door.

4. In combination with a door structure including a frame and two doorsections as- S soclated therewith and connected with opposite sides ofthe frame, bolts carried by one of said sections and engaging with the.trame at the top and bottom of the section, a rotatable shaft directedthrough said door section between the bolts, a platesecured to the shaftat the inner face of the door and linked to said bolts, a. latch carriedby said door section and having a spring-pressed bolt for engagementwithv the other of the door sections, the latch casing having a slot, apin projecting through said slot and into the path of movement of one ofthe links connecting the plate with one of the. first named bolts whenthe plate is rotated in one direction.

5. In combination with a door structure including a frame-and twodoorsections vassociated therewith and connected with opposite vsides of't-hefframe, bolts carried by one of said sections and'engaging with thevframe. at the top'and bottom of the section, axrotatable shaft`directed through said door section lbetween t-he-bolts,a plate secured'to the shaft at the inner face ofA the door and linked 'to said bolts,a latch carried by said door section and having a spring-pressed bolt`for-,engagement with the other ofthe dooi sections, the latchcasinghaving'a slot, vafpin 'projecting through said slot'and `intothehpath of movementof'fone off tlievlinks connecting the plate with oneof the first named bolts when the plate is rotated in one direction,said pin engaging against the rear end of' its slot prior todisengagement of the rst named bolts from the frame.

6. In combination with a door structure including a frame and two doorsections associated therewith and connected with opposite sides of theframe, bolts carried by one of said .sections and engaging with theframeat the top and bottom of the section, a rotatable shaft directedthrough said d-oor section between the bolts, a plate secured to theshaft atthe inner face of the door and linked to said bolts, a latchcarried by said door section and having a bolt for engagement with theoth-er of the door sections and an operative connection between the boltof' said latch and the link connecting Asaid plate with one of saidbolts when the plate is rotated in one direction by the shaftdisengaging the bolt of the latch prior to disengagement ofthe firstnamed bolts from the casing, a second plate pivoted to the door sectionin spaced relation to the first named plate, a connection between saidplates whereby the plates move in unison when thehandle isrotated in onedirection and the first named plate moves alone when the handle isrotated in the opposite direction, .the other casingengaging bolt-scarried `by the first named section of' the door and at their plateengaging end a longitudinally llo extending slot, pins carried by theplate for Y engagement in the slots, one of said linksr being fixed asto length, the other of said links h aving in its bolt engaging end aseries of longitudinally spaced openings and a coupling between the freeend lof the last named link and the bolt including a member havingan'op-ening for the passage of a pin adapted to engage in one of theopeningsv of the link, said member being adjustably threaded vin itsengagement with the bolt. ,Y e

8. In combintion 'with a door structure, a pair of spring-pressed easingvengaging bolts arranged .at opposite ends thereof, a plate rotatablymounted upon the` door structure intermediate the bolts, linksoonnecting said bolts and said plate, each having at their plateengaging end a longitu- 5 a series of longitudinally spaced openings,

of the. link,l said member lbeing:adjustably threaded in its engagementwithl the -bolt and `means for *operating saidA plate including a shaftdirected through the `door,a handle member pivoted to the youter end ofvthe shaft, the doory having Hattached thereto an eye,zthe handle`having' in its free-end a slot vthrough `which the eye may extend'.

In testimony whereof I hereunto..l a my Signature. v Y Y ROY RANDOLPHARIEPEN

